I was born the first moment that a question leaped from the mouth of a child.
I have been many people in many places.
I am Socrates exciting the youth of Athens to discover new ideas through the use of questions.
I am Anne Sullivan tapping out the secrets of the universe into the
outstretched hand of Helen Keller.
I am Aesop and Hans Christian Andersen revealing truth through countless stories. ...
The names of those who have practiced my profession ring like a hall of fame for humanity...
Booker T. Washington, Buddha, Confucius, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Leo Buscaglia,
Moses and Jesus.
I am also those whose names and faces have long been forgotten but whose
lessons and character will always be remembered in the accomplishments of their students. ...
Throughout the course of a day I have been called upon to be an actor,
friend,
nurse,
coach,
finder of lost articles,
money lender and
a keeper of the faith.
Material wealth is not one of my goals, but I am a full-time treasure seeker
in my quest for new opportunities for my students to use their talents ...
that sometimes lie buried in self-defeat.
I am the most fortunate of all who labor. ...
An architect knows that if he builds with care, his structure may stand for centuries.
A teacher knows that if he builds with love and truth, what he builds will last forever.
And who do I have to thank for this wonderful life ...
but you the public,
the parents.
For you have done me the great honor to entrust to me
your greatest contribution to eternity,
your children.
And so I have a past that is rich in memories.
I have a present that is
challenging,
adventurous and
fun because I am allowed to spend my days with the future.
I am a teacher ...
and I thank God for it every day.
Due to the rapid addition of new information and the advancement of science and technology that occur almost daily, an engineer must constantly expand his or her horizons beyond simple gathering information and relying on the basic engineering principles. A number of homework problems have been included that are designed to enhance critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is the process we use to reflect on, access and judge the assumptions underlying our own and others ideas and actions. Socratic questioning is at the heart of critical thinking and a number of homework problems draw from R.W. Paul's six types of Socratic questions:
1. Questions for clarification:
Why do you say that?
How does this relate to our discussion?
"Are you going to include diffusion in your mole balance equations?"
2. Questions that probe assumptions:
What could we assume instead?
How can you verify or disapprove that assumption?
"Why are neglecting radial diffusion and including only axial diffusion?"
3. Questions that probe reasons and evidence:
What would be an example?
What is....analogous to?
What do you think causes to happen...? Why:?
"Do you think that diffusion is responsible for the lower conversion?"
4. Questions about Viewpoints and Perspectives:
What would be an alternative?
What is another way to look at it?
Would you explain why it is necessary or beneficial, and who benefits?
Why is the best?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of...?
How are...and ...similar?
What is a counterargument for...?
"With all the bends in the pipe, from an industrial/practical standpoint, do you think diffusion will affect the conversion?"
5. Questions that probe implications and consequences:
What generalizations can you make?
What are the consequences of that assumption?
What are you implying?
How does...affect...?
How does...tie in with what we learned before?
"How would our results be affected if neglected diffusion?"
Online Learning for All Students Back in the day, when most of today’s educators were students, online learning wasn’t available. In a 2008 article for Forbes, Harvard business professor Clayton Christensen wrote, “Despite skepticism about the school system’s ability to shift, online classes now account for 1 million enrollments in public education, up from 45,000 just seven years ago.” He has a point. At least 27 states have online high schools. Most of today’s educators have had little personal experience in this new world. By the time they got to college, perhaps they were able to experience one class in an online environment. Most probably, the class replicated a face-to-face class. In other words, the online class had a start date, everybody went in lockstep through the class, and everybody finished at the same time. And there was probably also a requirement for students to meet together face-to-face at the beginning of the class and periodically throughout. Most online learning has taken the typical classroom and extended it to a new delivery method, keeping all the essential classroom elements in place. Using Christensen’s nomenclature, I would call that kind of learning environment a sustaining innovation—an improvement on the established model. Christensen predicts that online education will be a disruptive innovation—an innovation that begins by serving a marginalized group, such as the students who drop out because the traditional classroom environment doesn’t meet their needs. In the beginning, it won’t compete with the established model of classroom learning. But it will improve to the point that it’s used for all students, not just those who are at risk, because it’s a good way to serve the whole student population. At some predictable point, the innovation will overtake the traditional model and become the new way of doing business. At the Utah Electronic High School, we’ve seen that kind of demographic shift in the students who take our courses. When the school began serving students in 1994, we had a small student body and used rudimentary online tools to deliver curricula and credit to local high schools. Nearly all of our students used the school for credit recovery. Since then, state graduation standards have increased and students have less room in their schedules for “passion” classes—classes that they take because they love the content. Now, more than 50% of our students report that they are using the school to accelerate their graduation or to make room in their schedules for other classes. Only 30% say they use our services strictly for credit recovery. Why Does It Work? The innovative part of the high school isn’t just that it’s online; it’s in the flexibility that it provides for students. The high school does not compete for the weighted pupil unit, so we aren’t constrained by the calendar. A student can begin any quarter class at any time and work at his or her own pace through the curriculum with the support of a Utah-certified teacher. Why is that flexibilty attractive? Let’s use an analogy. In the olden days, if you lived in a company town and wanted to purchase something, you went to your company store. If they didn’t carry the item you wanted, you had to wait until your trip to the big city to pick up the item or you had to use the Sears & Roebuck catalog and have the item mailed to you. Both involved waiting. Nowadays, if you have the itch for something, you can log in to Amazon.com and have the item arrive at your doorstep the next day. That’s an unprecedented change in meeting customer demand. That’s the kind of flexibility students are beginning to ask for. Many school systems behave like old company towns because they think that they have a monopoly on education. Students and parents are discovering that there are many online learning options. Online Learning in Your School So can your school provide students and their parents with this kind of choice and flexibility? I believe that the answer is yes, if you partner with others. But you’ll need to do a little homework first. Research online courses that are available and see what they’re using for curricula and how they approach the teaching. The International Association for K–12 Online Learning (iNACOL, www.nacol.org) is a good place to start. Evergreen Consulting Associates (www .evergreenassoc.com/online_education.html) publishes an annual review of online schools. Look at the most flexible and cost-effective models, and be sure to investigate the accreditation standards for online schools. With that background, you’ll be ready to consider what you and your school can do. Ask yourself how your school can embrace a new level of flexibility. Don’t think, though, that you must purchase one of these online education services. You may be able to develop them by yourself or in partnership with other schools in your district or state. Following is a suggested scenario for developing your own disruptive innovation for your school. Step one. With faculty members, explore the online resources that can enhance the school’s regular, face-to-face curricula. Look at the iTunesU offerings of media-rich content. Tremendous teaching resources are available just for the asking. Step two. If you don’t already have a Web publishing framework, such as Drupal (http://drupal.org) or Joomla ([[BOOKS/metadigm/www.joomla .org|www.joomla .org]]), choose one and install it at your school. You must have a way to organize student and teacher interactions. A database-driven framework provides the most flexibility and growth potential. Step three. Help your teachers learn how to use wiki features with their students to create curriculum resources that can be used in face-to-face classes. The best way to create “buy in” and reach time line goals is to do the “crowdsourcing” that a wiki provides. Leverage teacher and student expertise to create an organized, online compilation of learning resources. Step four. Create assessment strategies that use rubrics and online tests to gauge student mastery of a subject. Figuring out how to help students help themselves by providing transparent self-assessment tools goes a long way to creating a successful learning environment, whether it is face-to-face or online. Step five. Invite several teachers to begin offering their required classes to students who don’t have room in their schedules during the school day. This is where the fun starts for both the students and the teachers. Step six. Work with your district and state office of education to figure out how to compensate teachers who teach outside the regular school hours. So, is it as easy as these six steps? No, but at least it’s a beginning. The pitfalls are to think that you must reinvent the wheel or to think that you must purchase the luxury wheels. You must find a balance between the two extremes. You may want to begin a discussion group with fellow administrators to work through the implications of online learning in your schools. In partnership, you can begin the journey together. The primary thing to remember is that you’re taking this plunge to respond to the changing needs and expectations of your parents and students. These days, everyone is connected, most students have cell phones, and everything is available on demand, so the education system must transform. PL Reference Christensen, C. (2008, January 23). Disruption in the classroom. Forbes.com. Retrieved February 25, 2009, from www.forbes.com/2008/01/22/solutions-education-christensen-oped-cx_dme_0123christensen.html Kathleen L. Webb (principal@ehs.uen.org) is the principal of the Utah Electronic High School and Utah’s state educational technology coordinator
The Aha! Moment: Making Math Concepts StickBy Laurynn Evans
I have lost count of the number of times that I have watched a student have the thrill of an “aha!” moment in a math classroom only to later discover that he or she forgot the skill, lost track of the process, or couldn’t demonstrate their learning when assessment time rolled around. It’s frustrating for teachers and students alike when they realize that they had not really learned what they thought they had. The struggle for students to not only learn but also retain mathematical information is one of the biggest challenges educators face. Recent research and practice show that an instructional strategy called “reflective assessment” is helping a growing number of students bridge the gap between learning and retaining math information. Reflective Assessment The concept of reflection has been around so long that even ancient philosophers discussed the importance of reflection by defining thinking as “a discourse the mind carries on with itself” that is essential to retaining experiences (Plato, trans. 1956). Such notables as John Dewey, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and Rick Stiggins all discuss the need for active reflection by learners for any kind of “learning permanence” to occur. At one time, assessment implied a judgment of learning or a terminus of a unit; now with the infusion of formative assessment into classrooms, assessment can take many forms. It also may be used to inform instruction and student learning rather than to simply grade a student and leaving it at that (Stiggins, 1996). An important part of defining reflective assessment is examining the theoretical concept of metacognition, because it is the heart of reflective assessment. This concept isn’t new to educators; in fact, as more teachers implement formative assessments and as brain research takes a greater role in informing instruction, metacognition becomes more frequently referenced. The concept originates in the field of cognitive psychology and it is is defined as “focusing on the active participation of the individual in his or her thinking process” (Stewart & Landline, 1995, p. 17). As individuals reflect on what they have done (or learned) and the processes by which they accomplished those tasks, they foster deeper connections and their retention of learned information is much stronger (Costa, 2001). In essence, reflective assessment is a metacognitive strategy whereby students are encouraged to think about their thinking (Costa, 2001). For students to gain a solid comfort level with the activity, they must undertake reflective assessment in an active, prescribed manner with teacher guidance. Reflective thinking helps students discern what they know and what they do not know and connect what they are learning to other experiences and information (Costa). Reflective assessment happens most effectively when teachers purposefully guide students in reflection by incorporating a specific strategy during the instructional period that prompts students to focus on what and how they learned. In the Math Classroom Math is different from many other content areas for several reasons. It is usually sequential, it moves from concrete concepts to abstract ideas, and it relies heavily on information permanence (i.e., retaining previous knowledge as a foundation for new information). These elements are necessary for students to successfully learn additional concepts as they move through the curriculum. Given these facts, reflective assessment is a natural fit for math learning. There are several things that point to this. Empirical research proves its value. Research in the field of reflective assessment has seen sizeable gains in the number and quality of the studies being conducted in recent years. Studies that have been conducted in the United States and internationally have unearthed some astonishing results that correlate math achievement and reflective assessment. In short, students consistently demonstrate considerable gains in mathematics achievement following the implementation of reflective assessment strategies. Fortunately, many of the studies in the field of reflective assessment have taken place in mathematics classrooms, and they have happened in a wide range of grade levels. The depth of research in this particular part of the field means that there is a solid research base to inform the practice of reflective assessment in math classes. As the area continues to garner interest among educators and researchers, it is likely that still more evidence will mount to support the use of reflective assessments in math classrooms for all grades. It aligns with the concept of formative assessments. The value of formative assessments has already been proven, especially in the area of mathematics instruction (Stiggins, 1996). Scriven (1991), who is cited as the original theorist who coined the term “formative assessment,” describes it as a highly reflective process for both students and teachers. Because math learning relies so heavily on accessing previously learned material, it is imperative that solid connections are made in the learning continuum. Both Scriven and Stiggins have said that student involvement in assessment is essential. They also repeatedly highlight the importance of giving students opportunities to reflect on their learning so that they can connect prior experiences to newly learned material. This way, the thrill of what is newly learned stays with the student, rather than becoming lost. Students point to reflective activities as being interesting and helpful. Student feedback about the use of reflective assessment is overwhelmingly positive. In the math classrooms in my school where teachers are implementing reflective assessment, math students have said that they not only enjoy the reflective activities that they’ve done but also experience greater self-efficacy. Students like being engaged in self-evaluation activities, and they find that those activities help them monitor the permanence of their learning. Better feedback for students and teachers. Whether it happens during class discussions or through student writing, reflective assessment is a mechanism for frequent and timely feedback for students and teachers. When students speak or write reflectively, teachers can quickly and easily monitor their understanding and can provide timely—in some cases, immediate—feedback to the students about their thinking. The students can then use the feedback to focus their efforts on areas of need (Ellis, 2001). In addition, teachers get a significant side benefit from the use of reflective assessment: they get a very good idea of just where students are cognitively. Whether the reflection is written or verbal, teachers get an immediate sense of whether students are “getting it” and can adjust instruction to more effectively help students learn. After receiving the student reflections, teachers then reteach concepts in a new way to foster greater understanding, review prior learning to ease the transition to new ideas, or move forward. This is especially beneficial in the mathematics classroom because new learning is so closely connected to the student successfully mastering prior concepts (Ellis, 2001). It’s easy to do. Reflective assessment is a straightforward, easy-to-implement strategy that takes nothing away from what is already occurring in the mathematics classroom. It is a highly engaging activity that is popular with students and gives them the opportunity to express their thoughts about their learning. While observing math classes, I have noticed that a number of teachers already use some style of debriefing, an “exit task,” or a questioning strategy at the close of the class period to reinforce the day’s learning. By “re-tuning” or restructuring those already-included activities, teachers can easily transform those debriefing times into periods of student reflection (Ellis, 2001; Bond, 2007).
Conclusion NCLB has put assessment at the forefront of the educational conversation, but given the new refocusing of how teachers use assessment, the conversation is changing in its tone. For students to retain the often complex and processoriented math knowledge that they are required to master, they must have adequate time to reflect on their learning. To that end, the benefits of using reflective assessment strategies are too great to be ignored. PL References Bond, J. (2007, July). Reflective assessment: Including students in the assessment process. Paper presented at the Round Table on Literacy, Oxford, England. Costa, A. L. (2001). Developing minds: A resource book for teaching thinking (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Ellis, A. (2001). Teaching, learning, and assessment together: The reflective classroom. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education. Scriven, M. (1991). Beyond formative and summative evaluation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Stewart, J., & Landline, J. (1995). Study skills from a metacognitive perspective. Guidance & Counseling, 11(1), 16–20. Stiggins, R. J. (1996). Student-centered classroom assessment. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall. Laurynn Evans (evanslh@mukilteo.wednet.edu) is an assistant principal at KamiakHigh School in Mukilteo, WA.
In classrooms across the country, technology is helping educators design and deliver lessons that engage students as active participants in the learning process, instead of passive receivers of knowledge.
From electronic whiteboards and other devices that allow students to interact with digital media, to web-based games and simulations that let kids apply what they’ve learned in a context that is meaningful to them, these initiatives are creating highly interactive learning environments that can capture students' attention and enhance their understanding of a topic more effectively than lecturing or other traditionally passive forms of instruction, their supporters say.
With the generous support of Pokemon USA Inc., we've assembled this collection of stories from the eSchool News archives to help you learn how your colleagues are using technology to create successful interactive learning environments. We hope these stories will help inspire you to do the same in your own schools, with the ultimate goal of boosting student achievement across the board. --The Editors
eSN News & Features:
• 'Augmented reality' helps kids learn
A research project that uses wireless handheld devices to engage students in an augmented reality-based educational environment could have a big impact on future learning, its creators say...
Profit and loss ... PowerPoint ... spreadsheets ... typing practice: This junior high school business class could have given a case of the yawns to a buttoned-down executive, not to mention the kids...
On Jan. 29, students and teachers will be able to follow along as the Quest Network begins its second Blue Zones Quest, a three-week, inquiry-based online learning project...
An online virtual world that has become one of the web's most popular activities is also becoming an increasingly popular venue for teaching and socialization among educators and youth organizations...
For years, educators have struggled to integrate the latest in digital art and collaboration tools into the classroom. Where advanced software applications from companies such as Adobe and Corel showed promise, they also proved complex, expensive, and difficult for educators to use...
Scientists are calling it the next great discovery, a way to captivate students so much they will spend hours learning on their own: It's their new vision of video games...
Pokemon, a video role-playing game created by the Japanese game designer Satoshi Tajiri for Nintendo Inc., is now finding its way into U.S. classrooms in the form of a supplemental educational game for students...
Leonard DiFranza believes he's got a home run for educators: The interactive systems technician from the National Baseball Hall of Fame (HOF) was at NECC 2006 to discuss how teachers can use interactive video conferences with HOF staff to engage students and teach core curricular concepts...
Faculty at the University of Houston's history department and College of Education have designed the "Digital History" web site to support the teaching of American history to K-12 students...
From elementary schools to Boston's Berklee College of Music, a revolution is quietly taking place in music education. With the help of electronic music software, students who don't even play an instrument now can compose songs or even an entire symphony--learning more about music theory in the process than ever before possible...
Learning to leverage the enormous popularity of video games to help students excel was the core purpose of two events held recently in Washington, D.C. ...
A simulation-style computer video game that allows players to act as world leaders, make momentous decisions, and discover the consequences is being used to teach students history...
A wireless handheld technology similar to the remote control you use to control your television set is transforming large, impersonal college lecture courses into dynamic, interactive learning labs. Although initiated mostly in colleges, this style of instruction--dubbed "interactive teaching" by its proponents--has potential far beyond the lecture hall...
Researchers at the University of Georgia's Learning and Performance Support Lab are involved in a project that shows what the future might soon hold for education. With a software program called Virtual Gorilla Modeling Tool, the project uses virtual reality (VR) technology to help middle-school children explore gorilla motion and better understand their behavior...
In 2001, the Escambia County public school district in Florida's Panhandle made the decision to combine its two smaller elementary schools--Molino and Barrineau Park--into one larger school called Molino Park Elementary...
Acting on the notion that educational video games can have a positive impact on student learning, the makers of the Japanese animation cartoon and video-game series Pokemon have created the Pokemon Learning League, an interactive online learning program targeted at students in grades 3-6...
Contents Copyright 2007 eSchool News. All rights reserved. (Privacy Policy)
RSEAL Social Emotional Academic learning
Dropout Factories Ed week (Vol 25. No 41S June 22, 2006 and No. 42., July, 12, 2006) By 6th grade, the RISK variables include attendance (less than 805 of the school year and including excessive mobility= disrupted school career), behavior, course failure in math and English. Students with any one of the risk factors had less than 20% chance of graduating within five years of entering high school. One reason ninth grade finishes off so many students is that they may already have been struggling with and disengaging from school for three years or more. Some studies indicate that being retained even once between 1st and 8th grade makes a student four times more likely to drop out than a classmate never held back! No one factor is the cause for dropping out, rather it is long-term and cumulative. Some researchers believe that being held back is the trump card for dropping out. Some of the stigma regarding being held back is being older than the other kids. By first semester freshman year, strong drop out indicators include the number of credits earned. Fewer than five course credits and tow or more consecutive F’s by the end of first semester puts students on the road to early exit. Prospects for getting back on track for timely graduation are cut in half or even two-thirds. At this time, other adult responsibilities may begin to interfere with successful completion n of school. A survey of 16-to 25 year-olds identified as high school dropouts, nearly half said a major reason for dropping out was that classes were not interesting. Nearly 7 out of ten said they were not motivated or inspired to work hard in school; two-thirds said they would have worked harder if more had been demanded of them; and 70% were confident they could have graduated if they tried. (Vol 41S) Schools that beat the odds have multiple layers of support. Strong instructional programs are matched with a schedule that allows for double dosing in these subjects and extra help from caring instructors within a personalized, interdisciplinary team structure. Some still require summer school or Fall-focused instruction from committed adults who refuse to give up on their students. This also requires extra time, resources, training and materials.
DATA Collection (Johnson, 2005, p. 110)
Sources-- Johnson, D. (2005).Sustaining change in schools. Whitaker, T. (2004). What great teachers do differently?
Drilling at a task does not teach the task, it only indicates how closely we are approximating the correct behavior each time we attempt it. “Traditional education was not intended to be the program to neurologically prepare us for learning” (p. 126). Trying to learn something new can be like trying to walk through an unopened door. Expectation of success before the doorway to neurological pathways being built (hooks) leads to frustration and even embarrassment. Keep in mind, frustration at the correct levels should be part of the process! We are all handicapped to the degree that any part of the sensorimotor system does not function or cooperate with the rest of our brain. A handicap exists in all of us to the degree of cross-communication between the corpus collosum. Education has been evaluated by the mastery of specific bits of information rather than the brain development. There is a hodgepodge of knowledge bits that may or may not be inter-related. There are many gaps in the neural net…. We are all genius…. For a propensity that we exude!
What does the data tell us about dropouts?
Risk
% or factor
Attendance
Less than 20% chance of graduation
Held Back
4x more likely to drop out
Credits as a freshman
Fewer than 5 credits or 2 F’s >1st semester = getting credit recovery 50 -66 % dec for on-time graduation
Why did they dropout?
Class interest, not motivated or inspired, didn’t try
Cost to society
Earn less
< $260,000
Less healthy
> $2.3 billion-health care
Public Assistance
$7.9-10.8 billion-
Vote less
College grads 3x greater
Increased crime rates
>$1.4 billion
SEVEN TIPS FOR IMPROVING INSTRUCTIONAL SKILLS Teachers’ content knowledge and instructional skills play a critical role in improving students’ academic achievement. This presentation created by Walt Jacobs focuses on seven ways to improve instructional skills, which often are overlooked amid the daily give-and-take of the classroom. The tips have been gleaned from his 38 years of observing teachers and tutors in classrooms and in-service professional-development settings: (1) Help students combat fear of academic failure; (2) Determine grades based upon achievement not behavior; (3) Ask questions dealing with "how," "why" and "what if;" (4) Don’t feel compelled to cover all the specific topics in the textbook; (5) Use state and local standards to promote what your students need to know and be able to do in a "global community;" (6) Build on what your students know; respect diversity of opinions; (Click on "Improving Instructional Skills") http://www.helpforschool.com/
I Am A Teacher
by John W. Schlatter
I was born the first moment that a question leaped from the mouth of a child.
I have been many people in many places.
I am Socrates exciting the youth of Athens to discover new ideas through the use of questions.
I am Anne Sullivan tapping out the secrets of the universe into the
outstretched hand of Helen Keller.
I am Aesop and Hans Christian Andersen revealing truth through countless stories. ...
The names of those who have practiced my profession ring like a hall of fame for humanity...
Booker T. Washington, Buddha, Confucius, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Leo Buscaglia,
Moses and Jesus.
I am also those whose names and faces have long been forgotten but whose
lessons and character will always be remembered in the accomplishments of their students. ...
Throughout the course of a day I have been called upon to be an actor,
friend,
nurse,
coach,
finder of lost articles,
money lender and
a keeper of the faith.
Material wealth is not one of my goals, but I am a full-time treasure seeker
in my quest for new opportunities for my students to use their talents ...
that sometimes lie buried in self-defeat.
I am the most fortunate of all who labor. ...
An architect knows that if he builds with care, his structure may stand for centuries.
A teacher knows that if he builds with love and truth, what he builds will last forever.
And who do I have to thank for this wonderful life ...
but you the public,
the parents.
For you have done me the great honor to entrust to me
your greatest contribution to eternity,
your children.
And so I have a past that is rich in memories.
I have a present that is
challenging,
adventurous and
fun because I am allowed to spend my days with the future.
I am a teacher ...
and I thank God for it every day.
http://www.engin.umich.edu/~problemsolving/strategy/cthinking.htm
Due to the rapid addition of new information and the advancement of science and technology that occur almost daily, an engineer must constantly expand his or her horizons beyond simple gathering information and relying on the basic engineering principles.
A number of homework problems have been included that are designed to enhance critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is the process we use to reflect on, access and judge the assumptions underlying our own and others ideas and actions.
Socratic questioning is at the heart of critical thinking and a number of homework problems draw from R.W. Paul's six types of Socratic questions:
Online Learning for All Students
Back in the day, when most of today’s educators were students, online learning wasn’t available. In a 2008 article for Forbes, Harvard business professor Clayton Christensen wrote, “Despite skepticism about the school system’s ability to shift, online classes now account for 1 million enrollments in public education, up from 45,000 just seven years ago.” He has a point. At least 27 states have online high schools.
Most of today’s educators have had little personal experience in this new world. By the time they got to college, perhaps they were able to experience one class in an online environment. Most probably, the class replicated a face-to-face class. In other words, the online class had a start date, everybody went in lockstep through the class, and everybody finished at the same time. And there was probably also a requirement for students to meet together face-to-face at the beginning of the class and periodically throughout.
Most online learning has taken the typical classroom and extended it to a new delivery method, keeping all the essential classroom elements in place. Using Christensen’s nomenclature, I would call that kind of learning environment a sustaining innovation—an improvement on the established model. Christensen predicts that online education will be a disruptive innovation—an innovation that begins by serving a marginalized group, such as the students who drop out because the traditional classroom environment doesn’t meet their needs. In the beginning, it won’t compete with the established model of classroom learning. But it will improve to the point that it’s used for all students, not just those who are at risk, because it’s a good way to serve the whole student population. At some predictable point, the innovation will overtake the traditional model and become the new way of doing business.
At the Utah Electronic High School, we’ve seen that kind of demographic shift in the students who take our courses. When the school began serving students in 1994, we had a small student body and used rudimentary online tools to deliver curricula and credit to local high schools. Nearly all of our students used the school for credit recovery. Since then, state graduation standards have increased and students have less room in their schedules for “passion” classes—classes that they take because they love the content. Now, more than 50% of our students report that they are using the school to accelerate their graduation or to make room in their schedules for other classes. Only 30% say they use our services strictly for credit recovery.
Why Does It Work?
The innovative part of the high school isn’t just that it’s online; it’s in the flexibility that it provides for students. The high school does not compete for the weighted pupil unit, so we aren’t constrained by the calendar. A student can begin any quarter class at any time and work at his or her own pace through the curriculum with the support of a Utah-certified teacher.
Why is that flexibilty attractive? Let’s use an analogy. In the olden days, if you lived in a company town and wanted to purchase something, you went to your company store. If they didn’t carry the item you wanted, you had to wait until your trip to the big city to pick up the item or you had to use the Sears & Roebuck catalog and have the item mailed to you. Both involved waiting.
Nowadays, if you have the itch for something, you can log in to Amazon.com and have the item arrive at your doorstep the next day. That’s an unprecedented change in meeting customer demand. That’s the kind of flexibility students are beginning to ask for. Many school systems behave like old company towns because they think that they have a monopoly on education. Students and parents are discovering that there are many online learning options.
Online Learning in Your School
So can your school provide students and their parents with this kind of choice and flexibility? I believe that the answer is yes, if you partner with others. But you’ll need to do a little homework first.
Research online courses that are available and see what they’re using for curricula and how they approach the teaching. The International Association for K–12 Online Learning (iNACOL, www.nacol.org) is a good place to start. Evergreen Consulting Associates (www .evergreenassoc.com/online_education.html) publishes an annual review of online schools. Look at the most flexible and cost-effective models, and be sure to investigate the accreditation standards for online schools.
With that background, you’ll be ready to consider what you and your school can do. Ask yourself how your school can embrace a new level of flexibility. Don’t think, though, that you must purchase one of these online education services. You may be able to develop them by yourself or in partnership with other schools in your district or state. Following is a suggested scenario for developing your own disruptive innovation for your school.
Step one. With faculty members, explore the online resources that can enhance the school’s regular, face-to-face curricula. Look at the iTunesU offerings of media-rich content. Tremendous teaching resources are available just for the asking.
Step two. If you don’t already have a Web publishing framework, such as Drupal (http://drupal.org) or Joomla ([[BOOKS/metadigm/www.joomla .org|www.joomla .org]]), choose one and install it at your school. You must have a way to organize student and teacher interactions. A database-driven framework provides the most flexibility and growth potential.
Step three. Help your teachers learn how to use wiki features with their students to create curriculum resources that can be used in face-to-face classes. The best way to create “buy in” and reach time line goals is to do the “crowdsourcing” that a wiki provides. Leverage teacher and student expertise to create an organized, online compilation of learning resources.
Step four. Create assessment strategies that use rubrics and online tests to gauge student mastery of a subject. Figuring out how to help students help themselves by providing transparent self-assessment tools goes a long way to creating a successful learning environment, whether it is face-to-face or online.
Step five. Invite several teachers to begin offering their required classes to students who don’t have room in their schedules during the school day. This is where the fun starts for both the students and the teachers.
Step six. Work with your district and state office of education to figure out how to compensate teachers who teach outside the regular school hours.
So, is it as easy as these six steps? No, but at least it’s a beginning. The pitfalls are to think that you must reinvent the wheel or to think that you must purchase the luxury wheels. You must find a balance between the two extremes. You may want to begin a discussion group with fellow administrators to work through the implications of online learning in your schools. In partnership, you can begin the journey together.
The primary thing to remember is that you’re taking this plunge to respond to the changing needs and expectations of your parents and students. These days, everyone is connected, most students have cell phones, and everything is available on demand, so the education system must transform. PL
Reference
Christensen, C. (2008, January 23). Disruption in the classroom. Forbes.com. Retrieved February 25, 2009, from www.forbes.com/2008/01/22/solutions-education-christensen-oped-cx_dme_0123christensen.html
Kathleen L. Webb (principal@ehs.uen.org) is the principal of the Utah Electronic High School and Utah’s state educational technology coordinator
The Aha! Moment: Making Math Concepts StickBy Laurynn Evans
I have lost count of the number of times that I have watched a student have the thrill of an “aha!” moment in a math classroom only to later discover that he or she forgot the skill, lost track of the process, or couldn’t demonstrate their learning when assessment time rolled around. It’s frustrating for teachers and students alike when they realize that they had not really learned what they thought they had. The struggle for students to not only learn but also retain mathematical information is one of the biggest challenges educators face. Recent research and practice show that an instructional strategy called “reflective assessment” is helping a growing number of students bridge the gap between learning and retaining math information.Reflective Assessment
The concept of reflection has been around so long that even ancient philosophers discussed the importance of reflection by defining thinking as “a discourse the mind carries on with itself” that is essential to retaining experiences (Plato, trans. 1956). Such notables as John Dewey, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and Rick Stiggins all discuss the need for active reflection by learners for any kind of “learning permanence” to occur.
At one time, assessment implied a judgment of learning or a terminus of a unit; now with the infusion of formative assessment into classrooms, assessment can take many forms. It also may be used to inform instruction and student learning rather than to simply grade a student and leaving it at that (Stiggins, 1996).
An important part of defining reflective assessment is examining the theoretical concept of metacognition, because it is the heart of reflective assessment. This concept isn’t new to educators; in fact, as more teachers implement formative assessments and as brain research takes a greater role in informing instruction, metacognition becomes more frequently referenced. The concept originates in the field of cognitive psychology and it is is defined as “focusing on the active participation of the individual in his or her thinking process” (Stewart & Landline, 1995, p. 17). As individuals reflect on what they have done (or learned) and the processes by which they accomplished those tasks, they foster deeper connections and their retention of learned information is much stronger (Costa, 2001).
In essence, reflective assessment is a metacognitive strategy whereby students are encouraged to think about their thinking (Costa, 2001). For students to gain a solid comfort level with the activity, they must undertake reflective assessment in an active, prescribed manner with teacher guidance. Reflective thinking helps students discern what they know and what they do not know and connect what they are learning to other experiences and information (Costa). Reflective assessment happens most effectively when teachers purposefully guide students in reflection by incorporating a specific strategy during the instructional period that prompts students to focus on what and how they learned.
In the Math Classroom
Math is different from many other content areas for several reasons. It is usually sequential, it moves from concrete concepts to abstract ideas, and it relies heavily on information permanence (i.e., retaining previous knowledge as a foundation for new information). These elements are necessary for students to successfully learn additional concepts as they move through the curriculum. Given these facts, reflective assessment is a natural fit for math learning. There are several things that point to this.
Empirical research proves its value. Research in the field of reflective assessment has seen sizeable gains in the number and quality of the studies being conducted in recent years. Studies that have been conducted in the United States and internationally have unearthed some astonishing results that correlate math achievement and reflective assessment. In short, students consistently demonstrate considerable gains in mathematics achievement following the implementation of reflective assessment strategies.
Fortunately, many of the studies in the field of reflective assessment have taken place in mathematics classrooms, and they have happened in a wide range of grade levels. The depth of research in this particular part of the field means that there is a solid research base to inform the practice of reflective assessment in math classes. As the area continues to garner interest among educators and researchers, it is likely that still more evidence will mount to support the use of reflective assessments in math classrooms for all grades. It aligns with the concept of formative assessments. The value of formative assessments has already been proven, especially in the area of mathematics instruction (Stiggins, 1996). Scriven (1991), who is cited as the original theorist who coined the term “formative assessment,” describes it as a highly reflective process for both students and teachers. Because math learning relies so heavily on accessing previously learned material, it is imperative that solid connections are made in the learning continuum. Both Scriven and Stiggins have said that student involvement in assessment is essential. They also repeatedly highlight the importance of giving students opportunities to reflect on their learning so that they can connect prior experiences to newly learned material. This way, the thrill of what is newly learned stays with the student, rather than becoming lost.
Students point to reflective activities as being interesting and helpful. Student feedback about the use of reflective assessment is overwhelmingly positive. In the math classrooms in my school where teachers are implementing reflective assessment, math students have said that they not only enjoy the reflective activities that they’ve done but also experience greater self-efficacy. Students like being engaged in self-evaluation activities, and they find that those activities help them monitor the permanence of their learning.
Better feedback for students and teachers. Whether it happens during class discussions or through student writing, reflective assessment is a mechanism for frequent and timely feedback for students and teachers. When students speak or write reflectively, teachers can quickly and easily monitor their understanding and can provide timely—in some cases, immediate—feedback to the students about their thinking. The students can then use the feedback to focus their efforts on areas of need (Ellis, 2001).
In addition, teachers get a significant side benefit from the use of reflective assessment: they get a very good idea of just where students are cognitively. Whether the reflection is written or verbal, teachers get an immediate sense of whether students are “getting it” and can adjust instruction to more effectively help students learn. After receiving the student reflections, teachers then reteach concepts in a new way to foster greater understanding, review prior learning to ease the transition to new ideas, or move forward. This is especially beneficial in the mathematics classroom because new learning is so closely connected to the student successfully mastering prior concepts (Ellis, 2001).
It’s easy to do. Reflective assessment is a straightforward, easy-to-implement strategy that takes nothing away from what is already occurring in the mathematics classroom. It is a highly engaging activity that is popular with students and gives them the opportunity to express their thoughts about their learning. While observing math classes, I have noticed that a number of teachers already use some style of debriefing, an “exit task,” or a questioning strategy at the close of the class period to reinforce the day’s learning. By “re-tuning” or restructuring those already-included activities, teachers can easily transform those debriefing times into periods of student reflection (Ellis, 2001; Bond, 2007).
Conclusion
NCLB has put assessment at the forefront of the educational conversation, but given the new refocusing of how teachers use assessment, the conversation is changing in its tone. For students to retain the often complex and processoriented math knowledge that they are required to master, they must have adequate time to reflect on their learning. To that end, the benefits of using reflective assessment strategies are too great to be ignored. PL
References
Bond, J. (2007, July). Reflective assessment: Including students in the assessment process. Paper presented at the Round Table on Literacy, Oxford, England.
Costa, A. L. (2001). Developing minds: A resource book for teaching thinking (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Ellis, A. (2001). Teaching, learning, and assessment together: The reflective classroom. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.
Scriven, M. (1991). Beyond formative and summative evaluation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Stewart, J., & Landline, J. (1995). Study skills from a metacognitive perspective. Guidance & Counseling, 11(1), 16–20.
Stiggins, R. J. (1996). Student-centered classroom assessment. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Laurynn Evans (evanslh@mukilteo.wednet.edu) is an assistant principal at KamiakHigh School in Mukilteo, WA.
Interactive Learning: Watch, Try, Apply!http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/reports/InteractiveLearning/
In classrooms across the country, technology is helping educators design and deliver lessons that engage students as active participants in the learning process, instead of passive receivers of knowledge.
From electronic whiteboards and other devices that allow students to interact with digital media, to web-based games and simulations that let kids apply what they’ve learned in a context that is meaningful to them, these initiatives are creating highly interactive learning environments that can capture students' attention and enhance their understanding of a topic more effectively than lecturing or other traditionally passive forms of instruction, their supporters say.
With the generous support of Pokemon USA Inc., we've assembled this collection of stories from the eSchool News archives to help you learn how your colleagues are using technology to create successful interactive learning environments. We hope these stories will help inspire you to do the same in your own schools, with the ultimate goal of boosting student achievement across the board. --The Editors
A research project that uses wireless handheld devices to engage students in an augmented reality-based educational environment could have a big impact on future learning, its creators say...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6885
• For some educators, gaming is serious business
Profit and loss ... PowerPoint ... spreadsheets ... typing practice: This junior high school business class could have given a case of the yawns to a buttoned-down executive, not to mention the kids...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6839
• Meeting students where they learn can have a profound effect on education
Computer-based video games are time-wasters that get in the way of true learning, not to mention doing homework, right? ...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6800
• Students, scientists team up to probe the secrets of longevity
On Jan. 29, students and teachers will be able to follow along as the Quest Network begins its second Blue Zones Quest, a three-week, inquiry-based online learning project...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6778
• 'Second Life' develops education following
An online virtual world that has become one of the web's most popular activities is also becoming an increasingly popular venue for teaching and socialization among educators and youth organizations...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6758
• Makers of design software target schools with easy-to-use
For years, educators have struggled to integrate the latest in digital art and collaboration tools into the classroom. Where advanced software applications from companies such as Adobe and Corel showed promise, they also proved complex, expensive, and difficult for educators to use...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6692
• Scientists: Can video games save education?
Scientists are calling it the next great discovery, a way to captivate students so much they will spend hours learning on their own: It's their new vision of video games...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6655
• Gotta catch 'em all! Pokemon courts schools with educational game
Pokemon, a video role-playing game created by the Japanese game designer Satoshi Tajiri for Nintendo Inc., is now finding its way into U.S. classrooms in the form of a supplemental educational game for students...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6458
• Interactive video conferences cover all bases
Leonard DiFranza believes he's got a home run for educators: The interactive systems technician from the National Baseball Hall of Fame (HOF) was at NECC 2006 to discuss how teachers can use interactive video conferences with HOF staff to engage students and teach core curricular concepts...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6422
• 'Digital History' aims to make history instruction more interactive
Faculty at the University of Houston's history department and College of Education have designed the "Digital History" web site to support the teaching of American history to K-12 students...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6171
• Technology strikes a chord in music education
From elementary schools to Boston's Berklee College of Music, a revolution is quietly taking place in music education. With the help of electronic music software, students who don't even play an instrument now can compose songs or even an entire symphony--learning more about music theory in the process than ever before possible...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6084
• Educators take a serious look at video gaming
Learning to leverage the enormous popularity of video games to help students excel was the core purpose of two events held recently in Washington, D.C. ...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=5965
• Computer simulation is 'making history'
A simulation-style computer video game that allows players to act as world leaders, make momentous decisions, and discover the consequences is being used to teach students history...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=5862
• 'Interactive teaching' engages learners
A wireless handheld technology similar to the remote control you use to control your television set is transforming large, impersonal college lecture courses into dynamic, interactive learning labs. Although initiated mostly in colleges, this style of instruction--dubbed "interactive teaching" by its proponents--has potential far beyond the lecture hall...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=5663
• eSN Special Report: Across-the-Board Instruction
Interactive whiteboards are appearing in a growing number of classrooms nationwide. They're also proving their worth in reaching all students...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=5483
• 'Virtual Gorilla' project previews education's future
Researchers at the University of Georgia's Learning and Performance Support Lab are involved in a project that shows what the future might soon hold for education. With a software program called Virtual Gorilla Modeling Tool, the project uses virtual reality (VR) technology to help middle-school children explore gorilla motion and better understand their behavior...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=5234
• ACTIVboard system fills lessons with action--and interaction
In 2001, the Escambia County public school district in Florida's Panhandle made the decision to combine its two smaller elementary schools--Molino and Barrineau Park--into one larger school called Molino Park Elementary...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=5163
About Pokémon Learning League
Acting on the notion that educational video games can have a positive impact on student learning, the makers of the Japanese animation cartoon and video-game series Pokemon have created the Pokemon Learning League, an interactive online learning program targeted at students in grades 3-6...
http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/productnews/prodnews.cfm?sid=568
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RSEAL Social Emotional Academic learning
Dropout Factories Ed week (Vol 25. No 41S June 22, 2006 and No. 42., July, 12, 2006)
By 6th grade, the RISK variables include attendance (less than 805 of the school year and including excessive mobility= disrupted school career), behavior, course failure in math and English. Students with any one of the risk factors had less than 20% chance of graduating within five years of entering high school. One reason ninth grade finishes off so many students is that they may already have been struggling with and disengaging from school for three years or more. Some studies indicate that being retained even once between 1st and 8th grade makes a student four times more likely to drop out than a classmate never held back! No one factor is the cause for dropping out, rather it is long-term and cumulative. Some researchers believe that being held back is the trump card for dropping out. Some of the stigma regarding being held back is being older than the other kids.
By first semester freshman year, strong drop out indicators include the number of credits earned. Fewer than five course credits and tow or more consecutive F’s by the end of first semester puts students on the road to early exit. Prospects for getting back on track for timely graduation are cut in half or even two-thirds. At this time, other adult responsibilities may begin to interfere with successful completion n of school.
A survey of 16-to 25 year-olds identified as high school dropouts, nearly half said a major reason for dropping out was that classes were not interesting. Nearly 7 out of ten said they were not motivated or inspired to work hard in school; two-thirds said they would have worked harder if more had been demanded of them; and 70% were confident they could have graduated if they tried. (Vol 41S)
Schools that beat the odds have multiple layers of support. Strong instructional programs are matched with a schedule that allows for double dosing in these subjects and extra help from caring instructors within a personalized, interdisciplinary team structure. Some still require summer school or Fall-focused instruction from committed adults who refuse to give up on their students. This also requires extra time, resources, training and materials.
DATA Collection (Johnson, 2005, p. 110)
Sources--
Johnson, D. (2005).Sustaining change in schools.
Whitaker, T. (2004). What great teachers do differently?
Drilling at a task does not teach the task, it only indicates how closely we are approximating the correct behavior each time we attempt it. “Traditional education was not intended to be the program to neurologically prepare us for learning” (p. 126). Trying to learn something new can be like trying to walk through an unopened door. Expectation of success before the doorway to neurological pathways being built (hooks) leads to frustration and even embarrassment. Keep in mind, frustration at the correct levels should be part of the process!
We are all handicapped to the degree that any part of the sensorimotor system does not function or cooperate with the rest of our brain.
A handicap exists in all of us to the degree of cross-communication between the corpus collosum. Education has been evaluated by the mastery of specific bits of information rather than the brain development. There is a hodgepodge of knowledge bits that may or may not be inter-related. There are many gaps in the neural net…. We are all genius…. For a propensity that we exude!
What does the data tell us about dropouts?
SEVEN TIPS FOR IMPROVING INSTRUCTIONAL SKILLS
Teachers’ content knowledge and instructional skills play a critical role in improving students’ academic achievement. This presentation created by Walt Jacobs focuses on seven ways to improve instructional skills, which often are overlooked amid the daily give-and-take of the classroom. The tips have been gleaned from his 38 years of observing teachers and tutors in classrooms and in-service professional-development settings:
(1) Help students combat fear of academic failure;
(2) Determine grades based upon achievement not behavior;
(3) Ask questions dealing with "how," "why" and "what if;"
(4) Don’t feel compelled to cover all the specific topics in the textbook;
(5) Use state and local standards to promote what your students need to know and be able to do in a "global community;"
(6) Build on what your students know; respect diversity of opinions;
(Click on "Improving Instructional Skills") http://www.helpforschool.com/